Everton have joined the race to sign Bayern Munich loanee Ivan Perisic, with Fussball Transfers reporting that Inter Milan are wiling to sell the Croatian for a bargain £13 million.
Three years ago, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United spent what felt like the entire summer haggling over a £50 million fee for one of the most fearsome wingers on planet earth.
“Perisic is the kind of winger that is different to the others,” Mourinho would tell Russia TV after it became clear that Perisic would not be heading to Old Trafford after all.
“Normally you look at wingers and they are just fast and creative. But he is also physical, very physical. Fantastic in the air.”
It is exactly this wide array of attributes which have underpinned a storied career for club and country for a man who struck fear into the heart of full-backs at Borussia Dormund, Wolfsburg, Inter and, most recently, Bundesliga champions Bayern.
Perisic has also tallied 88 caps and 26 goals for the Croatian national team, tearing global champions Spain to shreds in Euro 2016 before reaching the World Cup final two years later.
But, at the age of 31 and no obvious place for him in Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 system, Perisic is now available for a fraction of that £50 million fee that Manchester United were quoted during his San Siro heyday.
FT claims that the Theatre of Dreams is still a potential destination with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperate to add some much-needed depth to a United side with a fearsome starting XI but a weak bench.
Mourinho’s Tottenham are once again in the race – but they have also be joined by Everton.
This is not the first time the Toffees have shown an interest. Back in 2014, when Roberto Martinez was still at the helm, Everton held talks over a bargain £8 million deal (Mail).
The phrase ‘better late than never’ comes to mind.
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